Visual recorder for telephone systems.



PATENTED JAR. 8, 1907.

R. W. SEOEMAKER.. VISUAL RECORDER RoR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1905.

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R. W. SHOEMAKBR. VISUAL RECORDER FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1905.

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PATENED JAN. 8, 1907.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEincE.

RICHARD W. SHOEMAKER, OF `PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGrNORv OF FIFTY-FIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO REGINALD H. SHOEMAKER, JR.,

OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

VISUAL RECORDER FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application led February 13, 1905. Serial No. 245.381.

been made on his telephone during his absence from the instrument and may be informed of the number of theparty,.making'l the call, so that he may on his return call up said party.

The invention is also applicable generally to the recording of any message to the subscriber. I

The main object of this invention isgto Irovide apparatus for the above purpose .W ich will be operative with thetelephone systems now in use, wherein the main line isnormally open-circuited to direct current.

:The accompanying drawings. illustrate the invention." ,I

vFigure-1 is a diagram showing the circuitconnections. Fig. 2 is a vertical. sectional view of the transmitter on line X2 X2 in Fig. 3.. Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof with the front of the case partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the recording apparatus on the line 1:4 actin Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail of .the printing device... Figs. 6

' and 7 are diagrams showing different connections of the recording devices. A

The transmitter, which is located at a central station of the telephone system, comprises a disk or wheel 1 and an arm or lever 2, journaled concentrically wit-h said disk or wh'eel and rotatable to a limited extent independently thereof. Said arm may be attached to the shaft 3, mounted in bearings 4 in a box or case 5, and the disk or Wheel 1 may be rotatable on said shaft. Pins or projections 6 7 on said disk extend on opposite 'sidesof said arm v2, so that upon rotation of the latter in one or the other direction it will vmove for a limited extent independently of said wheel, and then striking the projections on that side it will carry the wheel around with it. Ahandle 2a may also be provided for operating the shaft 3, which handle may,

as shown in Fig. 1, be an extension of said arm 2, or in case the apparatus is inclosed in a casing (shownl at 8) said handle may be a 5 5 separate member connected to said shaft and extending outside of the casing. .f

A contact-spring 9, connected to a circuitterminal 10, extends in position to make contact with contacts 11 12 on the disk 1. Con- 6o tacts 11 are arranged in a row or series corresponding to the numbers or signals to be transmitted-for example, zero and nine .digits-and are connected by a conductor '11a with the pin 6 aforesaid. Contact 12 is 65 connected by a conductor 13 with a contactring 14, engaged by a brush 15, from which a wire 18 leads to 1.a -circuit-terminal 19. An-

other circuit-term-inal 20 is connected by- Vwire 21 to a brush 22, bearing on a ring 23, 7o

connected-'by wire 24 to a contact 25 on arm 2. Disk 1 is vof insulating materiahand the various conducting parts are insulated in well-known manner.' A Suitable characters or marks 26 are provided adjacentnto the handle 7 5 2a, corresponding to the digits above referred to and to letters designating, for example, prefixes, such as main,. &c.

The receiver, which is located at one or more of the subscribers stations in the tele-. 8o phone system, comprises a printing or type Wheel 28, provided with type `proj ections 28, corresponding to the digits, 1&0., above referred to, a ratchet-wheel 29, fast on the shaft 30 of said type-wheel, paper-feed devices 31, 8 5 a printing-hammer 32, and suitable magnets for operating the various devices. l

33 designates a magnet whose armature 34 is connected to a pawl 35, ivoted to an arm 36, mounted concentrical y with Wheel 9o 28. A. spring 37 normally holds the pawl clear of wheel 29, but when armature 34 1s attracted it turns the pawl into engagement, and then on further movement draws the pawl and the arm 36 around to turn Wheel 28. A spring 38, connected to shaft of wheel 28 and to a xed support 39, operates to turn the wheel 28 in opposition to the magnet '33. A- pawl-40 engages ratchet-Wheel 29 to hold the same against such return movement, and an roo armature 41, operated by a magnet 42,?is. connected to said pawl to release the same.

The printing-hammer 32 is carried at one end of a lever 43, whose other end is perforated forthe assage of a rod 44, pivoted to an armatureever 45, o erated by a magnet 46. Rod 44 has a headp 47 which on operation of the lever 45 by its magnet strikes the lever 43 to give a blow or impact to the hammer-lever, the hammer moving onward by its momentum to effect theprinting and then falling back to clear the paper.

The pa er (indicated at 48) is supplied from a rol 49 and is drawn forward between the wheel 28 and hammer 32 by the feedrolls 31, one of which carries a ratchet-wheel 50, engaged by a pawl 51 on a lever 52, carrying an armature 53, operated by a magnet 54. Energization of magnet 54 turns the lever 52 in opposition to a spring 55, and on release of the armature said spring returns the lever, and the pawl 51 turns the feed-rolls a definite amount. 56 designates inking means, such as an ink-ribbon.

The above-described apparatus will be connected to the telephone-system lines in various ways, according to the system to which it 4is applied. Fig. 1 illustrates the application to one of the usual systems, the .subscribers connections being shown substantially complete, but certain of the centraloffice connections being omitted, as will be. understood. In this system the telephone connections are established by a complete metallic circuit, the two sides or wires of the line (indicated at 57 58) being connected, as

usual, to the two sides of a spring-jack 59. The plug 60 establishes connection from the central-office devices or connectors through the spring-j ack 59 to the wire 58 of the subscribers line. In operating with such a system the printing or visual-record devices may be controlled or brought into action through a circuit including one of the linewires, as 58, and ground connections therefrom. A connection 61 leads from one member-for example, the outer member 62 of plug 60-to the contact-spring 9, and a groundwire 63 is connected, through branches 64 65, including batteries 66 67of different strength-for example, ten and twenty volts, respectivelyto the brush 22, leading to contact 2.5 on arm 2 and to brush 15, leading to contact 12 on disk 1.

At the subscribers station or end of the line the usual form of the telephone land callbell are indicated, ,the hook-switch 68 normally closing connection from line-Wire 58, through a wire 69 and the bell 70, to one side of a condenser 71, whoseother side is connected by arm 72 to line-wire 57. The up or open contact of switch 68 is connected by wire 73, through telephone-receiver` 74 and transmitter 75, to line-wire 57. Theconnection 76 'for energization of the visual recordingdevices i's taken for the normallyclosed connectionsat 69 andl leads through relays 77v 78 to ,the ground. A.Said relays are of different sensitiveness, being respectively adapted foneflective energization by the respective batteries 66 67 aforesaid. Armature 79 of relay 77 controls and normally'opens the circuit 80 of type-wheel-actuating magnet 33. Armature 81 of relay 78 normally closes this circuit by its back contact and opens a circuit 82, leading-through printing-inagnet 46, both of these circuits includinfT the local battery 83. A branch circuit 84leads'from one side of circuit 82 through the feed-operating magnet 54 to other armature-lever 45 of printing-magnet 46, which when attracted closes connection with the core of said magnet to continue the circuit through a wire 85, leading to the other side of the local battery.

It will be understood that the line of each subscriber who pays for or is otherwise entitled to the device will be furnished with the receiving device above described, a single transmitter at the .central oiiice serving for a number of lines and bein0r interchangeably connected to the difierentrlines by a switchboard apparatus.

In Fig. l, 59 59 designate two sets of spring-jack devices, and 57 58 57 58 two sets of telephone-lines illustrating the application of the invention to a plurality of lines.

4The spring-jacks 59 59 constitute part of the usual switchboard and are used in connection with the usual connector-plugs (not shown) for establishing the telephone connections. By suitable connections these regular plugs may be used to eect the purpose of plug 60.

The operation of the system is -as follows: The central-oiice operators having called up the line and receiving no response will on request ofthe calling subscriber inform the i called subscriber that a certain numbersay, for example, 283-is to becalled. For this purpose central inserts plug 60 and turns the transmitter-handle in the direction toward the right in Fig. 'l until two teeth or contacts 1l have passed under the spring-contact 9. The initial movement of the handle establishes connection at pin 6 from the low-voltage battery 66 to contacts 11, and the assage of said contacts under spring 9 sen s two impulses to line, the current passing from battery 66 through wire 64 and the connections above described to contact 25 on handle 2, pin 6, conductor 11a, contacts 11, spring 9. connections 61, outer members of plug 60, spring-j ack 59, line-wire 58, hook-switch 68, connections 76, relays v77 and 78 to ground and back to other side of battery 66. This current is of sufficient strength to operate relay 77, but not relay 78. Armature 7 9 closes local circuit of magnet 33, the armature of which is therefor operated a number of times, dependingon the number of impulses-in this case two-and will movethe type-Wheel forward a corre- IOO IIO

spondingfnumber of steps, bringing, say, numeral 2 into printing position, -the wheel being held from return movement by pawl 40.. Central then turns arm 2 in the opposite direction, thereby iirst breaking the above-described circuit at contacts 25 6, so as not to permit duplicating the impulses, and then in its iinal movement making connection at contacts 12 9 and sending an im- Vulse for the stronger battery 67 through the line connection above described. This impulse will energize both relays 77 78, but only the latter will be operative, as armature 81 of relay 78 will on its initial movement break the circuit of magnet 33 before relay 77 has time to close it, but said armature on comleting its movement closes circuit from local battery 83 through printing-magnet 46, which operates to e ect the printing and also to close the local circuit of release-magnet 42 and paper-feed ma et 54. Magnet 42 then o erates to releaset e pawl 40 for the ratchetw eel 29, allowin the printing-wheel to be restored to norma position by its spring 38, and magnet 54 operates on the return stroke of the armature to feed the paper forward. The succeeding numbers-for example, 8 and 3"-`are sent in a similar manner by turning the transmitter-wheel to cause the proper number of contacts to pass under spring 9, the character 26 indicating to the o erator when the handle has been turned to t e proper number. The telephone and callbell do not aiect therelay, as they are transmitted over the same line-wires 57 58, and not through ground connections.

It will be understood that any suitable means, such as are well lmown in the art of telegraphy, may be used for differentiating between the type -wheel-feeding impulses and the printing impulse. In the present case such dierentiation is by difference in the voltage; but I do not limit myself thereto, as the re ay `means may be adapted to respond to impulses of different characters in any respect, the transmitter having correspondingly varied to produce such impulses. Furthermore, the characters on the printingwheel may be such as to provide for any desired kind of message, and any suitable form of visual recorder may be used in place of that shown.

The connection of the receiving devices to the telephone-system lines may be varied according to special conditions. Thus in Fig. 6 is shown a comiection that may be used when a permanent ground at the subscribers end may be considered undesirable. The ground connections 76 including the relays 77 78, is normally closed by the armature 88 of the relay 89, connected in the line 5 7, leading tothe telephone devices 74 75, this circuit being normally interrupted by the hook-switch 68. On removing the telephone rom the hook this circuit is closed and immediatelyoperatesrelay 89 to open the ground connections 7 6, so that the latter cannotinterfere with'the operation of the .system. A, condenser 90 shunts the relay 89 to prevent dampening of the telephone impulses. The ground connection is taken lfrom the line side of relay 89, so that recording impulses do not operate the latter. The call-bell 70 is connectedin a cross-circuit 70 between the two line-wires 57 58, includin a condenser 7l. When the call-bell 70 is ocated in a ground connection, (indicated at 91 in Fig. 7,) said connection being normally closed by the hook-switch 68, the relays 77 78 may be included directly in this ground connection, the said relays being sui'liciently sluggish to prevent them from responding to the rapidly-alternating call impulses.

In the above-described embodiments of the invention the character-printing mechanism and the transmitter for operating same are included in a supplementary circuit comprising one wire or side of the line and a supplementary connection-namely, the branches leading from said line through the transmitter and printing mechanim and the ground connection between such branches.

1. The combination with a teleplione-sys tem line, subscribers telephone apparatus connected therein, a call-bell having a connection to\the line, open-circuited to direct current but responsive to alternating current, the subscribers station having a switch normally open-circuiting the telephone connection to line, a character-printing mechanism and electromagnetic controlling means therefor and an operating connection for said controlling means having a normally closed connection to the line.

2. The combination with a telephone-system line, subscribers telephone apparatus connected therein, a call-bell having a connection to the line, open-circuited to direct current but responsive to alternating current, the subscribers station having a switch normally'open-circuiting the telephone connection to line, a character-printing mechanism and electromagnetic controlling means therefor and an operating connection for said controlling means having a normally closed connection to the line, and means controlled by the aforesaid switch to open the operating connection for the printing mechanism when the telephone connection 1s closed.

3. The combination with a telephone-system line, subscribers ltelephone apparatus connected therein, a call-bell having a connection to the line, open-circuited to direct current but responsive to alternating current, the subscribers station having a switch normally open-circuiting the telephone connection line, a character-printing mechanism liv IOO

IIO

and electromagnetic controlling means there l' In testimony Whc'eoi I have hereunto set for and an operating' c'onnection'for said conmy hand, lat Los Angeles; California, this 2d trolling means having a nonnasl'ly closed ccn-r day of Febmary, 190%5.

nection to the line, a relay in the telephone g RICHARD' W. SHOEMAKER- 5 line, connecte-d to control the printingmecl1 In presence of* an'srn circuit, and a connection shmtmg said ARTHUR- P. KNIGHT, 2g relay. EARL A. R. LYNN. 

